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Alfor (Legendary Defender)
King Alfor was the former king of the planet Altea, father of Princess Allura, and the original Paladin of the Red Lion. He is the one who built the Voltron Lions from a Trans-reality Comet that crashed into Planet Daibazaal. He was killed by Zarkon ten thousand years ago after scattering the Voltron Lions and placing his daughter and Coran in a deep sleep, but not before creating an artificial intelligence from his memories and storing them within the Castle of Lions. An AI containing a copy of his consciousness and memories was stored in the Castle of Lions computer, serving as counsel and a source of comfort for Allura until the corruption of the Galra crystal forced her to destroy it, leaving no more of King Alfor. Appearance Alfor has the appearance of a tall, older Altean man with brown skin, white hair, and a white full beard. As an Altean, his ears are pointed at the top rather than rounded, and he has small sickle-shaped marks of light blue situated on his cheekbones, right under each of his blue eyes. The pupils of his eyes have a noticeable pink in the center of them. Alfor's hair is cut just above his shoulders and he has long bangs swept to the right of his face. The king wears royal white armor over a black space suit, accented with gold and the bright Altean blue, along with a darker blue cape that reaches his ankles and is kept clasped over his right shoulder. As an AI, he wears white and gold armor with a blue cloak. Before Altean Genocide In his early years, he was originally a freedom fighter alongside Zarkon, Trigel, Gyrgan, and Blaytz, all from different planets, despite their planets' histories of fighting one another. One night a comet fell from the sky while they were having dinner together. The people of Altea studied the unknown substance from the comet itself while the people of Daibazaal studied the crater it left since it seemed to lead to another world. After many years of experimenting, during which he used the comet's materials to build five ships, an unknown life form escaped from the rift. Worried this might doom their universe, Alfor presented the five comet ships to his freedom fighter comrades: The Lions of Voltron. Becoming the first Paladins of Voltron, Alfor became the Red Paladin, and his team formed Voltron to destroy the creature. After the fight, Alfor suggested to close the rift to prevent more creatures coming through, but Zarkon refused, fearing he'd lose the new power source it provided. This created a slight rift between the two. Despite this, Alfor and the Paladins used Voltron to bring peace to the galaxy over many years. However Zarkon and his wife, Honerva, grew obsessed with the power of Quintessence, as well as the possibility of it giving them immortality. Honerva grew ill during her studies and Zarkon tricked the other Paladins into going into the rift in an attempt to cure her, but they were both exposed to an overdose of the substance and the creatures they once fought. Presumed dead, Alfor evacuated the planet and gave orders to destroy it in order to close the rift forever. However the two woke up, corrupted by the Quintessence, and rallied their armies to take revenge for their planet by destroying Altea, killing his former friend and enslaving the galaxy. Prior to his death, King Alfor hid the Lions of Voltron from Zarkon, to prevent him from opening another rift. However, this also meant that Zarkon's campaign of terror ran unopposed for centuries. King Alfor also kept Allura and Coran alive in cryo pods meant to ensure the longevity of the Alteans. Finally, before his death, he stored his memories within the Castle of Lions, so that Allura could interact with them when she woke up. Before the destruction of the planet, and the genocide of the Alteans, he sent away the Castle of Lions to an unknown planet. King Alfor (Memories) Allura was introduced to King Alfor's memories shortly after she woke up from her slumber. Coran informed her that King Alfor could remain with her, through his memories of Altea, in order to guide her and act as a source of comfort for Allura. However, when Sendak used his Galra crystal in connection with the Castle of Lions, he unintentionally corrupted the AI of the Castle. This caused complications with King Alfor's memories, forcing Allura to destroy them and any connection that she had with her father to stop Alfor's corrupted use of the ship. Personality Most of the king's personality can only be gleamed from Allura's memories, Coran's reminiscing, and the artificial intelligence stored in the Castleship. Alfor was a noble leader advocating for the Alteans to value peace and diplomacy, going so far as to trust and ally with Zarkon's Galra Kingdom and build the Black Lion on the Galra home planet. He was under the belief that leaders must know when to make heavy sacrifices, and that risking Voltron falling into Zarkon's hands once the Galra betrayed him was out of the question, though his AI later regrets the decision not to take a stand and fight because of the countless lives lost by fleeing and hiding Voltron. Despite the perceived mistake, Alfor is shown to be a wise king who thought ahead for any possible outcome, including his own death, though he aimed to live to see his daughter again. This foresight lead to the storage of his memories. From what has been seen in both Allura's flashbacks of him, Coran's recollections, and his AI construct, Alfor was known to be a model king for his people. Wise, kind, fierce, and noble, he created Voltron as a way of preserving peace throughout the universe, working diligently to craft each lion and their personalities to be as diverse as possible. This aspect of the lions' personalities and tastes indicates that Alfor valued diversity and versatility in his life and approach to leadership, as Alteans were well known for their skills in diplomacy. Despite his preference for diplomacy over violence, Alfor was not a man to be trifled with. When Zarkon betrayed him, Alfor's contempt for the Galra Emperor was palpable, as his tone indicated a deep emotional wound at his former friend's actions. Though he was king, Alfor was known to serve the public more than to rule it. While commanding at times, he was also quite friendly, and did not mind mingling with the commoners of any world he visited, such as when he chided Zarkon for his over-emphasis on discipline and strict social hierarchy. While a pioneering and daring scientist, Alfor was wise enough to realize when the ends did not justify the means, such as he begged Zarkon and Honerva to cease their experiments which posed a threat to the Galran homeworld. This shows that while constantly in pursuit of advancement for all beings, Alfor knew when the cost was far too much, indicating a somewhat humble personality, being satisfied with the power of Voltron. Ultimately, Alfor's wisdom is what separated him from Honerva, who could not see what her work was transforming her into, which in the end destroyed her adopted homeworld. Beyond genius by human standards, Alfor's grand achievement as a scientist was his creation of the Voltron Lions, each with its own unique mindset and consciousness, advanced weapons, and faster-than-light-speed thrusters and space flight capabilities. He was also a cunning enough man to hide the five lions in locations that would take Zarkon roughly the next ten thousand years to locate. As a father, Alfor was kind, playful, and serene. He clearly treasured his daughter above all other things, including his own life. This was best seen when in his A.I. form he encouraged Allura to destroy him once his programming had been corrupted, knowing that it would both scar his daughter for life, but in the process save her, Coran, and the new generation of Paladins. His dying act was an example of the self-sacrificing man that he was, and this trait in turn was passed down to Allura. Despite being the king of his people, Alfor was humble enough to know that he was not the most skilled military leader, which is why he allowed Zarkon to head Voltron. Due to this, Alfor was a pragmatist who valued strong leadership over his own need for glory, something that would be echoed in his successors as the Paladin of the Red Lion, Keith and Lance, who were both chosen due to their deference to a strong leader and piloting on instinct above all else. Alfor appeared to have been a bit of swashbuckler in his youth, cavalier and daring as he infiltrated enemy territory even if he was outnumbered. However, fatherhood and wielding the power of Voltron seemed to mellow him out, making him far more cautious and reserved in his actions. These tendencies in his youth to get in over his head were traits shared by his successors as the Paladin of the Red Lion, Keith and Lance. His similarities to Keith involve his impulsiveness, while his humor, swashbuckling traits, and style of swordplay were echoed more in Lance. Alfor seemed to be calm and kind, and he enjoyed traveling with Coran to various locations in the universe, including Balmera and Unilu swap moons. He was respectful of the balance of the universe and the role creatures played in it, such as Balmera, which he restored with Quintessence after removing Power Crystals. He was not impervious to becoming angry, as he is said to have gotten furious at Coran for being swindled and is shown scolding Allura in his memories. But even under heavy attack by Zarkon with defeat looming overhead, Alfor retained a controlled and level-headed demeanor. He loved his daughter dearly and strived to protect her from suffering; it is this love that is twisted into a nefarious plot by the Galra Crystal corrupting the Castleship, but Alfor's love and good heart is strong enough to shine through the corrupted AI and direct Allura on what must be done for the greater good, which is ultimately the complete erasure of the last remnants of his being, proving the extent of Alfor's self-sacrificing and noble nature. Abilities Being an Altean of sacred blood, Alfor possessed remarkable abilities that greatly exceeded the vast majority of his race. He was capable of manipulating his own life force, thus enabling him to perform the energy rejuvenation ceremony necessary to restore a Balmera, was a skilled swordsman, and was known far and wide for his genius-level intellect and abilities as an alchemist. Alfor's skills as a leader, while amazing, paled in comparison to Zarkon's skills as a military leader, something that Alfor himself acknowledged on at least two occasions, once to Zarkon and once to his daughter. Alfor's preferred style of swordsmanship incorporated a traditional Altean broadsword, a weapon that would be echoed in his eventual successor, Lance, who wielded an identical blade with the same style of swordplay, as noted by Allura. King Alfor has shown to have skills with magic, able to use some sort of energy or spell to make Allura fall unconscious. He has been suggested in flashbacks to be a "sacred" Altean that can perform a ceremony to restore a Balmera with Quintessence after extracting its Crystals. Previously, the king of Altea was the pilot of the Castle of Lions, implying he was one of the rare Alteans who could power a teludav device and create wormholes. Gallery 100. King Alfor in Allura's flashback.png 101. King Alfor and Allura in flashback.png 102. Allura's last glimpse of her father.png 167. King Alfor's AI.png 91a. We would repay its sacrifice by performing a ceremony 2.png|Alfor reinfusing a Balmera with Quintessence. 4. Alfor's AI 1.png 8. I wish it didn't have to be this way.png 123. Alfor AI in the night.png 185. Allura and Alfor AI in flower field.png 187a. Don't trust that face 2.png 247. Stay away from my daughter.png 249. It's taking over.png 256. Father, I can see Altea.png 283. All my knowledge.png 286. Alfor's memories - hug in flower field.png 290. Alfor's memories Allura puts flower in hair 2.png 291. Alfor's memories - riding on Father's shoulders.png 293. Alfor's memories - teenage rebellion.png 296. Alfor's memories - boo boo tantrum.png 298. Alfor's memories - Alfor with baby Allura.png 300. Sacrifice.png 302. Goodbye Allura.png|Alfor about to pull an Epsilon on us. S2E07.13. Coran at swap moon with Alfor laughing in bg.png|Look carefully in the background. S2E07.79a. Black Lion on planet with Zarkon and Alfor full sat color.png S2E07.130. That's a strange looking comet.png S2E07.131. King Alfor built you from that comet.png S2E07.132. Black Lion looking over gathering of Altean and Galra.png Zarkon and Alfor.png S2E07.133. Young Zarkon and Alfor.png S3E07.8. First glimpse of the first paladins.png S3E07.19. In the beginning, the paladins were just five leaders.png S3E07.20. Who despite coming from cultures which were vastly divergent.png S3E07.22. To protect their common interests.png S3E07.23b. A warrior's bond was forged 3.png S3E07.29. Am I good or am I GOOD.png S3E07.31. So that's where Allura gets her oh snap from.png S3E07.32. Ponytails the fashion of scruffy young bucks everywhere.png S3E07.39. Alfor gets tossed out.png S3E07.48. That's what I keep you around for Zarkon.png S3E07.53. King Alfor from Altea.png S3E07.59a. Perhaps a little dicipline erosion would do you good Zarkon 2.png S3E07.61. I was handling myself.png S3E07.62a. You mean wetting yourself 2.png S3E07.65. Gyrgan, Coran, Alfor and wife laugh.png S3E07.73. That very night the fate fo the universe would be changed forever.png S3E07.79. This comet is like none seen before.png S3E07.90. Zarkon, this is Honerva, she is the best alchemist on Altea.png S3E07.96. He didn't stay long.png S3E07.100. Zarkon, I'd like you to meet Princess Allura.png S3E07.107a. Honerva has really softened you up old friend 2.png S3E07.110a. It was a customary gesture 2.png S3E07.116. And an endless source of clean energy.png S3E07.117. Mysterious alien blob is bad news always.png S3E07.119. But somehow HE arrived unharmed.png S3E07.126. Alfor, Zarkon and Honerva watch in shock.png S3E07.134a. I trust this plan of yours 2.png S3E07.136. Heh look at Blaytz is in love at first sight.png The First Paladins of Voltron (Gyrgan, Blaytz, Trigel, Zarkon, Alfor).png|Alfor and his merry band of scoundrels. S3E07.143. What sort of weaponry do they have.png S3E07.147a. But the ship wasn't just reading my mind 2.png S3E07.148. It was communicating with me.png S3E07.149. They seem to be evolving.png S3E07.152b. Without these ships all hope is lost 3.png S3E07.165. Now go easy at the beginning.png S3E07.192. Thanks Alfor.png S3E07.193a. Oh snap watch out for that brick wall 2 (compiled).png S3E07.202. Alfor asks Red for pointers.png|When in doubt, ask for pointers! S3E07.204. We must come together in formation.png S3E07.208. Hey I feel it.png S3E07.211. I build a huge, HUGE awesome robot didn't I.png S3E07.224. THIS is Voltron.png S3E07.244. Alfor grits his teeth during attack.png S3E07.248a. I know what to do 2.png S3E07.255. Voltron's first win.png S3E07.258. We must find a way to seal up this rift.png S3E07.260. It nearly destroyed Daibazaal.png S3E07.262. Bruh talk some sense into your old lady.png S3E07.264. Dude I just saved your asses and this is the thanks I get.png S3E07.265a. You have to know when it's enough 2.png S3E07.268. Alfor shocked at Zarkon yelling at him.png S3E07.272. Despite their differences.png S3E07.280. I heard there were 3 more earthquakes this movement.png S3E07.282. How many decafeebs later and he still looks shocked.png S3E07.285a. But that's nothing 2.png S3E07.292. But then I began treating him with Quintessence.png S3E07.304. We can live forever.png S3E07.306. I cannot be a part of this.png|That’s it, walk away for the third time. THE FIRST SHOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH. S3E07.319. Alfor tried to warn me.png S3E07.321. Alfor's not buying it.png S3E07.327. Really dude you're gonna pull this crap on us.png S3E07.333. We use the sword.png S3E07.343. It's too much - stay focused.png S3E07.346. Okay where the quiznack are we.png S3E07.354. We must hurry.png S3E07.360. Fire all lasers.png S3E07.365a. They both succumbed to overexposure of quintessence 2.png S3E07.382. Revenge will be ours.png S3E07.390. Zarkon flew into a rage.png S6E07.220. What to take other than the mice.png S6E07.221a. So Allura's mom survived until later on she looks old 2.png|Allura only has time to grab a holo of her parents before sacrificing the Castle of Lions. Alfor and his friends (Flashback).jpg VLD_S8_E12_0497.jpg VLD_S8_E13_0238.jpg VLD_S8_E13_0240.jpg VLD_S8_E13_0241.jpg Original Paladins and Lotor.jpg Allura's farewell.jpg Trivia * Alfor claims that Allura is his only child. * When Coran takes the new Paladins to the original Paladins' favorite restaurant, he describes the Paladins' table as having five names in each respective Paladin's color. He points out King Alfor's name, which does not appear any particular Paladin color, which suggests the king was not a Paladin. This is an error, as Alfor is the original Red Paladin. References Category:Voltron: Legendary Defender characters Category:Characters Category:Altean Category:Males Category:Deceased Category:Paladins